, 1887-12-11
CREATED A SENSATION.
A Remarkable Report Submitted BY
the Grand Jury Yesterday.
Sheriff Sharpless and Justice B. A.
Hart Censured.
Stock Detectives ExOnerated and
Attorneys Reprimanded.

Inc long delayed hnal report OF the
grand Jury was submitted at 5 o'clock last
evening. The fifteen men have been de-
lberating for almost two weeks. and many
OF them felt the unhealthy effect of the
enforced close confinement, and the pale
features of several plainly told that they
were unaccustomed to remain indoors for
more than a few minutes at a time.
The court room was crowded to suffo.
cation to hear the reading of the most re
markable document of the sort ever form
ulated by a similar body sitting in this
county. Appended is the complete text
of the report, which has been the only
topic of conversation in many quarters
since its filing:
To the honorable, the district court,
within and for the county of Laramie, ter
ritory of Wyoming:
The jurors of the grand jury report to
the district court within and for the county
of Laramie, Wyoming Territory. for the
November term thereof, A. d. 1887.
That they ave been in session thirteen
days; have examined the county jail and
investigated all matters given us in charge
oil which have otherwise come to our
knowledge touching the preset : service.
We visited the county jail, exaL med its
condition and into the habits and condi-
ton of the prisoners, and find that the
jail is kept neat and clean, that it is prop
erly heated and ventilated, but we find
some complaint among the prisoners
about the quantity and quality of the food
furnished. We find that the Jail is being
used as a penitentiary for persons con-
yicted of crime in the county, and in con-
sequence thereof the prisoners are very
much crowded for room. We arc of the
opinion that the legislature should appro-
pirate sufficient funds for the building of
a penitentiary where the c%onvicts of the
territory could be confined and furnished
employment, and thereby become self
sustaining instead of being supported in
idleness as at present.
w are also of the opinion that the
present law should be so amended that
in all convictions Of a felony where
the convicted person is unable to
pay the costs of prosecution, they should
be paid by the territory, and in all con-
victions Of a mlsdemeanor, where the
condemned is unable to pay the costs,
they should 30 paid by the county, as at
present.
We are also OF the opinion that the
law in regard to fees and mileage of wit
nesses, jurors and officials should be so
modified hat trials and convictions may
be had with less cost to the county and
parties than at present.
As directed by the court, we have care
fully and diligently inquired into the con-
duct of Messrs. j. w. Foster and A. II.
Elan, stock detectives, in regard to their
soliciting men to kill cattle belonging to
Others, and to brand cattle not their own.
We have examined several witnesses, In
Guiding some of the witnesses offered by
the defense in the Ryan case, and from
the evidence adduced we find that the
SAID Detectives Foster and Flam never
persuaded or induced any person or per-
sons to commit any of the crimes or mis-
demeanors that they are charged with.
We are Of the opinion hat they only
performed the duty they were sent to
perfOrm-expecting no reward only their
monthly compensation from their en-
ployers-and we fully cxonerate them
from all blame and censure, and wish to
commend them for the manner in which
they have tried to break up an organized
band of ~rustlers and bring them to justice.
We desire to censure one B. A. Hart,
a man who holds the office of Justice of
the peace at Fort Laramie, this county,
for neglect in his official duty in refusing
to issue a warrant tor the arrest of the
persons charged with the murder of one
Richard Rice on the 18th day of March
last. We also censure him for neglect of
official duty in refusing to issue a warrant
for the arrest OF William Moore, who so
shametully, brutally and iDhumanly did
assault and nearly kill one Lolita Smith
on or about the first day of the present
month.
We find tha' the sheriff or his deputies
or the Jail officials in whose charge the
prisoners were left, have been negligent of
duty in permitting and allowing Mccoy,
Jones and others to escape from the coun-
ty Jail on Oct. 4, 1887.
We deprecate the practice of some at
torneys in attempting to try their cases on
the streets, and In trying to manufacture
public sentiment in behalf of their clients
through the public press.
The thanks Of the grand jury are hereby
rendered to Mr.. w. r. Stoll, prosecuting
attorney, for the able, efficient and cour-
teOus manner in which he has assisted us
and conducted the business before us.